Setting tab order for fields on a form

You can specify the order by which fields in a form receive focus as users tab through a form. (The Mid Tier uses this information.) Specifying a tab order can help users navigate a form and perform related actions faster and easier. The following figure shows the tab order specified for a form.

Tab order displayed in form editor


You can specify tab order for fields in a form by using any of the following methods:

• By editing the tab order in the form editor
• By dragging and dropping fields in Outline view when fields are sorted by tab order
• By updating the tab order in the field's properties

To specify a tab order

1. Select Layout > Tab Order > Select and Edit.
2. In the editor, enter the appropriate numbers for the tab order.
3. Save the form.

To specify incremental tab order by clicking through fields

1. Select Layout > Tab Order > Increment on Click.
2. Click the field on which you want to start the tab order.
3. Click each field in the wanted tab order. The tab order number appears as you click each field.

To reset the default tab order

1. Select Layout > Tab Order > Set Default.
2. Respond to the prompt by clicking OK.

To view and change the tab order from Outline view

If some fields on a form overlap, you can display a list of fields in Outline view and sort them by tab order, and then change the tab order as needed by dragging and dropping fields to the position that represents the wanted tab order.

1. Open the applicable form.
2. In Outline view, select Sort by Tab Order to view the list of fields in their current tab order.
   The tab order for a field appears in the list as a tooltip when the mouse is moved over that field, as shown in the following figure. 
   
   Fields that do not have a tab order, such as horizontal or vertical lines, and trim boxes, are not displayed.
3. To change the tab order of a field, drag it to the wanted order in the list.
   Keep the following conditions in mind as you modify tab order:
   • You can drag and drop only one field at a time.

   • You cannot drag a field from its current parent to a different parent.

     Sort by Tab Order is disabled when Show Table Overview is active in Outline view. To enable tab order sorting, click the Sort by Tab Order icon at the upper right in Outline view (the following figure).

     If you change the tab order either in the form editor or through the field properties after displaying the tab order in Outline view, the Outline view is refreshed immediately to reflect the new tab order.

To modify tab order using field properties

1. Select the field whose tab order you want to change.
2. In the field properties, enter the new tab order.